It is tradition for Douglas Laing to release a limited edition for Feis Ile each year. Big Peat, their Islay blended malt whisky, often gets a special finish for the Islay festival. We tried the Peatrichor Edition back in 2021 for instance.
This year we welcome The Thropaigeach Edition, finished in Caribbean rum casks. The bottle gets a screen print design for the occasion, instead of the classic paper label.
Big Peat Thropaigeach Edition (48%, Douglas Laing for Fèis Ìle 2024, 5688 btl.)
Nose: quite expressive, with some grilled pineapple and a hint of banana on top of the usual Islay markers. Lots of ashy notes, forest floor, toasted almond and black peppercorns. Herbal honey. Then hints of lemons and pears in the background, as well as a drop of fish oil.
Mouth: sweet and thick, showing lemon candy, with some vanilla and hints of golden syrup. Pineapple and green apple. Then back to seashells, coastal smoke and burnt grass. Finally hints of barbecued meat and a touch of resin.
Finish: long, warm and smoky, with coal dust, sweet spice and fruity notes.
This is quite a nice edition of Big Peat: the rum is well dosed and the whisky shows good maturity. Overall a succesful festival release. Available from The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt for instance, or a sample from Whiskysite.nl if you like.